El Deafo

Bell, C. (2014). El deafo. New York: Abrams.

About the Book

El Deafo is a Newberry Honor Winner and a Kirkus Prize Finalist. The graphic novel is about a little girl who gets sick at the age of 4 and becomes deaf. The little girl is the author and she tells her childhood story through a bunny. Her feelings about what it was like to grow up with a disabilities is portrayed in the book. CeCe pretends to be a super hero with super hearing powers, which puts a unique twist on this autobiographical novel.. 

Similarities and Differences to Love That Dog, Brown Girl Dreaming, Wonderstruck

What makes El Deafo different? -  Autobiography about the author growing up deaf.
Written in the form of a graphic novel with a super hero bunny.

     What are some similarities between the 4 books? - All four books have won multiple literary awards. The audience for all the books is the middle grades, 3-8. Each books premise is based on real world issues (realistic fiction)

What might appeal to a reader in “your library”?

A reader in my library might like: That it is a graphic novel. That is an autobiography. That it incorporates a super hero rabbit. That it is about a child who is different from them, or similar to them (a deaf child). 

How would you sell these books?  I would make a display of graphic novels in the library and include this book. I would ask kids who have read it to write me a short blurb about how it made them feel or what it made them think about. Creating a book review board.